Giada De Laurentiis' Pasta Cupcakes Add A New Twist To Leftovers

Here's the thing about pasta: You almost always end up with enough to feed a small, ravenous army no matter how tightfisted you are with its portions. This all-too-familiar phenomenon is the butt of several mirthful memes, entire songs have been dedicated to it, and a quick search on the Internet will reveal plenty of people riding in the same boat — looking for ways to use up those pasta leftovers. After all, cooked pasta won't last long in the fridge. 

For Giada De Laurentiis, the best thing to do is turn the pasta into little savory cupcakes. The trick is as simple as it sounds: Spoon out the leftovers into a muffin pan and bake them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes. But it wouldn't really be a De Laurentiis recipe if it was that basic.

The "Everyday Italian" host recommends lining the pan with breadcrumbs and oil to make it easier to pull out the cupcakes after they are cooked. She also recommends sprinkling on some shredded cheese and parmesan to help them hold their shape. To finish things off, she adds another layer of breadcrumbs on top of the cupcakes and drizzles them with more olive oil before popping them in the oven — this is what will give them a crisp, golden crust. De Laurentiis' trick works just as well on small pasta shapes with meat and veggies as it does on lasagna, spaghetti, and mac and cheese.

Giada De Laurentiis is something of a wizard at turning pasta leftovers into entirely new and fun dishes. While cupcakes are something she came up with for her daughter Jade, the chef also learned another trick from her mother, Veronica, in her childhood. Her mom's hack? Turn leftover spaghetti into a pizza.

Toss cooked spaghetti in a mixture of beaten eggs and parmesan with whatever meat and veggies you like. Pack the pasta tightly into an oiled skillet and cook everything on the stove. The result is a crisp, pizza-like pie of pasta that can be sliced into little triangles and served with more parmesan.

You can also turn leftover spaghetti into a frittata — in fact, the process is similar to De Laurentiis' pizza di spaghetti. The only extra step is to sautee the pasta in oil until it crisps up before you add it to the egg mixture and cook it again. You can also use the pasta as a filling for pies, layer it inside bread rolls to make cheesy subs, or spoon it onto scooped vegetables and fungi like portobello mushrooms. Or, stir-fry the pasta for a satisfyingly crispy texture and give new life to soggy leftovers.